Regression
by Iceani
Summary: A requested side history of two characters in my main fiction. This is for all you people who keep on asking me about the background between Jake and Iceani(It's so freaky writting my pen name down like that).
1. Part One

__ __

_Shinjuko, Japan: December 1995._

"Damn." 

A blonde haired man swore softly in the corner if the bar. Here he was; state of the art technology they said, you'll _always_ have a signal they said. Well, the stupid satellite phone wasn't working. But then, not even his watch was working. The hands on the small face has started spinning several days ago when what looked like a huge storm system came ashore. 

He had discarded his watch when it no longer proved to be of any use. 

And it had yet to rain. 

The clouds just hung there. He had never seen anything like it. All the power in the city had shut off too. Even the cars wouldn't run. A day or so later minimal power was restored, and anything gasoline powered was working again. Must have been some freak electrical storm. Maybe be sunspots. 

He didn't know how wrong he was. 

He did know that he stuck out like a sore thumb. The city seemed deserted, and the only ones remaining were Japanese. His height alone made him stand out. Not to mention that blonde hair and blue eyes just weren't the most common thing around these parts. But it looked like he wasn't the only one here, at least. About an hour ago, a brunette had walked in. Out of habit, he had immediately tried to size her up. He couldn't seem place her age. She looked fairly young, no more than sixteen. The way she held herself, though; how she watched the people around her suggested someone much older than that. 

He didn't like the feel of this place. The people here hadn't taken their eyes off of the girl in the past hour. They had been waiting here for her. He knew their type: hit men. Professionals. Probably Yakuza. 

He had loaded his gun when he realized what was going on, and what was most likely going to happen. She seemed oblivious to it all. 

A slight creaking sound from the roof grew into a full fledged screeching noise. It was like . . . like the roof was being torn apart. 

"What the hell?" 

His question was answered when a massive armored form came crashing through the hole that was torn through the steel. It landed on its feet and stood to look around the room. It wore what looked like some corrupted form of samurai armor, it was encased in it, and armed with a long blade and whatever else it may have known about defending itself. 

The sound of dozens of guns cocking echoed in the bar. 

The girl still hadn't turned around, but she was well aware of what was going on behind her. From the men that had been hired to take her out, to the demon solider in the middle of the floor, to the fellow American in the corner. Truthfully, the guns were the least of her worries. 

It moved and the men opened fire. 

Fools. 

They had already signed their death warrants when they had come here to make an attempt to kill her or one of the others. At least she would have made it quick. The solider wouldn't. It thrived on suffering. 

Might as well get on with it. 

She slid off of the stool she had been sitting on and walked into the middle of the shoot out. She'd deal with the men later. She tapped the thing on its shoulder plating to get its attention. 

"Hey! Youja!" 

It turned to face her. Only to meet her fist. 

The blonde American watched in disbelief. Was she out of her mind?! No relatively sane person waltzes into the middle of a fire fight. But the bullets never hit her. They had found their way to the . . . thing she was fighting. One of them had ricocheted and grazed his shoulder. Maybe when, if, he ever got home he should go see a therapist. 

"Dude, this is so whacked out." He muttered. 

He looked away from the brawl on the other side of the room to the wall behind him. The structure shook again and chunks of concrete fell from the uppermost part of the wall. The building was going to collapse. It gave him no choice but to move closer to the others. He looked back. The, what had she called it, . . . youja was gone. All that remained was the shell of metal on the ground, And that was slowly turning to dust. Now that the thing was gone, the others turned their guns on her and reloaded. She shook her head and sneered at them. 

This was like a bad acid trip. 

One, he assumed it was the leader of the group, ordered her to turn herself over to them. She rolled her eyes and turned her back to leave the bar. He fired a warning shot over her shoulder. 

"Are you that big of an idiot?" She turned her head to them and spoke in a light, drawled accent. Well, he could tell she was from the Southern region of the States. He briefly wondered if that was what they taught the kids down there. 

He fired. The bullet bounced off the sword that had come out of nowhere. 

"Leave now, and you might live to see the end of this. This is my last warning." 

They didn't listen. 

They attacked, and she retaliated. 

Perhaps shoving this into the back of his mind would be better. Things like this didn't happen. Okay, that was a lie. It was happening, unless it was some kind of funky hallucination. But the pain in in shoulder for where the bullet had pierced his skin told him other was. Passing out would be a good idea right about now. He put his hand on the back of a chair to steady himself. It was freezing. He pulled his hand away to avoid the cold. 

What was on the-. 

"Ice?" 

The temperature in the room had rapidly dropped. Freezing anything that had the slightest bit of moisture on it. He could even see his breath at one point. Another part of the building fell. He spun around to see the top part of the building fall right on to where he had been standing. There were several quick stabs of pain in his lower back as soon as his entire body had turned. It was followed by two that were so unbearable that he collapsed. He was able to glance at his hands. They were covered in liquid crimson. 

He laid where he had fallen and stared at the ceiling. 

The last of those stupid gunmen fell. Like they ever had a chance. He had gone quickly. She had broken his neck. The others had been finished off while they were trying to figure out where she had pulled her weapon from. The looks on their faces had been priceless. It seemed that only their leader knew what he was getting into. He even knew her name. A rarity in this day and age. 

Well, it was time to see if there was anyone left alive. Gee, she made it sound like so much fun. She laughed to herself. She walked around the room. Part of it had fallen during the fight with the youja. There didn't seem to be anyone else. It was time to go. She stopped when a small splishing noise took the place of her footsteps. She looked down. Part of her foot was standing in a steadily growing pool of dark red. It was already starting to freeze on its edges. 

This wasn't from her. For one thing, the fight hadn't made it to this portion of the bar. She followed the pool to its center. 

Oh no. 

The blonde guy. 

He didn't have too much longer. She might as well end it. She placed the edge of her blade on his neck, and silently told him she was sorry. 

He slowly blinked. 

Wow. He was hanging in there. A flash of something shiny caught her attention. Hey, she was human. Shiny thing were always going to be a distraction. A badge? The sword dissolved away into nothingness, and she knelt down next to him. 

"Let's see who you are." She pulled his ID off of his belt. Great. Another one. What did this make now? Seven? Eight? "What's the deal with the Department of Justice and loaning out its agents? Well, Jake McCartey on loan to the CIA from the DOJ, you don't look too good." 

She stood up to look around for a brief moment. Was he alone? She thought that she had accounted for everyone in the room when she had entered the bar. She and Strata had found what was left of two other agents in Sendai. What were they doing here? She'd have to look a little harder. She took a step and something crunched under her shoe. She looked down. There were small pieces of white scattered around him. Upon closer inspection she discovered that they were small pieces of bone. 

"Definitely not too good." 

It looked like a piece of his vertebra had been splintered off. Or worse. The cold must have kept him alive. 

She checked his pulse. 

Barely there. 

She looked back down at him. 

"I'm sorry, Agent. I can't take you with me. Where I'm going to end up will be much worse than this." She sighed, "I don't even know if you can understand me." 

The building rumbled again. 

Maybe . . . maybe Seiji could do something. He was still staring at the ceiling. She checked his pule again, and he shifted his eyes to look at her. 

She started. 

"Oh god, you-you look just like . . ." She trailed off. She used to be able to tell who people were, despite that faces and bodies change each life time. She had given up the the ability for another a long time ago, but there was still a faint echo if it left. Magic in general tended to linger. She held his gaze for a moment and raised an eyebrow. This was weird. It was rare that any physical traits were repeated. Let alone an entire . . . shape, for lack of a better word. 

"It is you." She whispered. 

She took his arm and draped it over her shoulder, and started to pick him up. She had him half way off the floor when he gasped and went limp on her grasp. 

"Shit." 

She quickly looked for his pulse and found nothing. He was gone. A small thought and she literally flash froze him. Cryogenics was easy, she didn't know what all the hype was about it being difficult. And there were several levels of being dead. If he wasn't too far gone there shouldn't be a problem. 

She owed him one. Two, actually. Even if he didn't remember it. 

How much damage was done anyway? She craned her neck to look at his back. Her jaw dropped. 

"Holy . . ." 

It looked like Seiji had a challenge ahead of him. There was a hole in his lower back that was roughly the size of her hand. The small pieces of bone hadn't been splinters off of his spine. They _were_ his vertebra. Ouch. An explosion in the distance informed her that she needed to leave this place. She hoisted him into a fireman's carry and walked out of the bar. 

All she had to do was get to the meeting place outside of the city and wait. Hopefully Seiji could fix him. And Rowen would know if McCartey was beyond any kind of help from him. After all, Ro _was_ life. He would know how dead he was. He was so weird. Behind her the building finally collapsed. She kept on walking. It was a good fifty miles to the rendezvous location. She just had to make sure he didn't thaw. 

"OK, that sounded funny." 

She kept on ahead and left Shinjuko behind her. 


	2. Part Two

  


_«I tell you, he will be the end of us all!»_

_«Chiton, you are being paranoid. Acteon is loyal, if more so, then we. You see things that are not there.»_

_The dark haired general paced back and forth._

_«No! You see nothing! He has gotten to you, Rhoikos, he will betray us, he will sell her out!»_

_Rhoikos shook his head. Chiton was too difficult. He was the most removed of all of them. While he and Acteon existed in their present, Chiton had been brought back several hundred years. From his polis' peak. Who knew that Sparta would become a huge warring power. Odd, how things worked out._

_«Are you still angry that the people call him the Second, although he was the last to arrive?»_

_«You jest too much. It will not work to take my mind from this. You are the First, Acteon is the Second, and I am the Third. Numbers mean nothing to me, only actions. And his are qustionable!»_

_«Why? Because he cares for her? He keeps her sane. We both know it is only a matter of time before she loses the battle for her mind.»_

_«No one should show," He grimaced, "affection, friendly or other wise to a commanding person! To a woman! In public! He reduces her to a whore! We know she comes from a different way of life, but-»_

_«But what? It is the way of his people to give a damn! He ways, customs, are diferant from your own! While yours place esteem on physical power, and prowess in battle, does it disturb you that much? He is your antithesis. He values everything, you scoff at. My people are the same way, do you dare accuse me?»_

_Chiton halted his pacing._

_«You and I are more alike than you would openly admit. But, there are other things. He questions. Everything. Nearly every command she gives, he finds fault with!»_

_«It is his way.»_

_«Soldiers do not question orders, Rhoikos, we follow them!»_

_«He does it to save lives. Acteon does not enjoy doing excessive harm. Unlike some. Do you think he his not qualified for his position?»_

_«I never said I thought less of his skill at sea, Rhoikos! I simply do not trust him.»_

_«Now, it is important that he does what he does. Neither of us has the gaul to act like he does with her. I tell you again he makes her use logic, and not succumb to the madness.»_

_«The madness . . . What was so important for her to do that? If the others like her were too weak to win their struggles then they should have perished. Iceani did not need to 'loan out' her power. She knew she could not handle it.»_

_«She though it physical not mental. And now demons plague her. Leave Acteon, let him be. She cares for him, I do not know to what extent, for either of them.»_

_«I can not! What is it with you people from the Islands? You're all backwards. Him, from Knossos. At least I know that the Minoans will fall because they are fools. I do not know about your Island, Thera. Where on there do you come from, again?»_

_«Akroteri. Why?»_

_«Curiosity. Do not worry about the Second, I will see to him.»_

_Chiton walked out of the tent before his comrade could respond._

_«You will do nothing.» He whispered._

_He grabbed his cloak and left for the city. The army was camped three days ride outside of Luxor. She had council with Pharaoh. He would have to interrupt. Some one needed to put a stop to whatever Chiton was up to._

_* * * *_

_He glanced at his refection in the water basin. He looked more like his mother, he mussed. Even though he had his father's face, his coloring was hers. Blonde hair, blue eyes._

_Acteon leaned against the bed in the room she had been put up in. Despite that Egypt was part desert, here near the Nile it was cool. He would rather be back with his fleet. He loved the sea. What had Iceani called him? A "beach bum", she had said it in that odd language she spoke on occasion. "English" was its name. She never did give him a translation in to his own._

_«I should ask her.» He mumbled._

_Even though he would rather be there, he was needed here. She seemed calmer when he was around. He had that effect on people. Almost every one, at least. Chiton hated everything he did. He probably thought he breathed the wrong way. He laughed under his breath. Rhoikos had been her only general for nearly two years until Chiton was brought to her. It would be another two before he had come along. He and Rhoikos had never had a problem with each other. They were friends to this day, four years later. Chiton had been civil enough. He did not know what had changed. It was almost overnight, Chiton's hatred of him. Or maybe he had simply missed his reasoning. They were very different, and Acteon did not quite understand Chiton's ways._

_Iceani shifted in her sleep. He craned his neck to see if she had awakened. No. Still asleep. It had taken an hour to convince her to do so. She was the most stubborn person he had ever met. He won only half the time. This was another notch in his favor. She was afraid of something in her dreams. She avoided sleep as much as possible, but even that odd armor of hers could only sustain her to a point. It seemed to be rather choosey about how it benefited or harmed her. He didn't understand it, but neither did she._

_Actually, he had two victories today. The small argument over the whole sleep thing, and another from earlier. He had convinced her not to attack the peoples south of Nubia. There had been rumors of an attempt to spread harm to Pharaoh's realm. But nothing more than rumors. She had come to take everything at face value recently. None of them could afford a mistake. They didn't need genocide on their conscience. It had taken all day, but she eventually agreed to not move the army._

_Sometimes he swore that there was someone else with her, whispering things to her that were slowly making her worse. Perhaps there was. She could see thing that none of them could. Maybe it was some god getting his jollies by ruining another mortal life._

_He ran his fingers over the two gold bands that encircled his left arm. One above his bicep and one below. He had taken them off to have the interiors engraved. It had felt strange, not to wear them. But now they were back in place._

_"Acteon?"_

_She did wake up. Damn._

_«I am still here, My Lady.»_

_"I thought you left."_

_Her native language again. He needed to learn it from her if he ever got the chance._

_«I'm sorry. I can't understand you.»_

_«I thought you left.»_

_«I told you I would not leave you alone. I will always be here.»_

_«Don't make promises you can't keep, Acteon.»_

_She yawned._

_«Why would I not be able to keep it?»_

_«Everyone has to sometime.»_

_«I intend to keep my word, Melissa. You said you would be there should I need you, and I told you the same.»_

_«I only ask for your best -»_

_«I shall give you my best.»_

_«Why?»_

_«What do you mean?»_

_«All of you. Why this . . . excessive sense of loyalty?»_

_«It is not excessive. Not in this time at least. We pledged ourselves to your service. We shall live and die by your word. It is simply the way of things. Are things so different in your world?»_

_«I don't know. I haven't been there since I was . . . twelve.»_

_«You have not gone home in twelve years? Do the gods not let you?»_

_«I'm afraid. For me and for them. I don't know what is happening to me.»_

_He frowned and reached up to take her hand in his, «We shall find a way. Everything that is done can be undone.»_

_«You have more faith than I do, Acteon.»_

_He nodded. He knew how she felt. She slipped off the bed and sat in his lap._

_«What are you doing?» He laughed._

_She hugged him, «Thank you for being my friend.» He returned it._

_«Go back to sleep, My Lady. I'll be here.»_

_* * * *_

_«And why should we do this for you, General?»_

_«I do it to protect.»_

_«But by coming to us, are you not doing the very thing you condemn your comrade for?»_

_«An eye for an eye.»_

_«Very well. He will die in two nights. Keep your part.»_

_He nodded and left the encampment. Finally, that foolish Admiral would be put in his place._

_The ground._

_«Sir, why do you help them? They are our enemy.»_

_«Let them tear apart from the inside. It will save us the work.»_

_«An eye for an eye?»_

_«And soon the whole world is blind.»_

_* * * *_

_«Highness, I apologize for yesterday. I was out of line.»_

_«Do not worry, Iceani. I understand stress. You are lucky to have some one willing to keep you in line. Me, I am surrounded by Yes-Men.»_

_Pharaoh laughed and sent his servant away._

_«Thank you, Pharaoh.»_

_«You protect my land and his,» He gestured to Acteon, «But, I do worry. I have heard things.»_

_«Sir, I am trying to be wel-»_

_«I worry about your Third. His open disdain for you, Acteon, troubles me.»_

_«People may have their likes and dislikes, My Lord. I can not begrudge him his opinion.»_

_He took another sip of wine, «True, but people have heard things. Even this morn, a messenger sent word that the First, Rhoikos, is headed here.»_

_Iceani interrupted, «I ordered them to stay!»_

_«They say it is imperative that he see all of us, and it has to do with Chiton.»_

_«Sir, if I may?"_

_«Of course, Acteon.»_

_«Chiton is given to harmless threats. He would do nothing, if he has a healthy value of his life.»_

_Pharaoh nodded his head in understanding. Acteon might not be able to best Chiton in hand to hand combat, but some one would avenge him. He has many friends._

_«I thin-»_

_A guard burst into the room._

_«You will announce yourself!»_

_«Forgive me, My Lord, but we received word the eastern boarder cities are under fire.»_

_«From whom?!» Iceani demanded. There were only allies to the east._

_«We do not know. The messenger died before he could speak any further.»_

_«Pharaoh I am camped three days west of here. The-»_

_«The Egyptian army will move.»_

_The guard left to relay his orders._

_«Acteon?»_

_«Yes.»_

_«We knew nothing of this?»_

_«I am afraid so.»_

_«We'll go with them.»_

_«Of course. I shall get things ready.»_

_He left her with Pharaoh. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. There was something wrong. This night would not end well._

_* * * *_

_The sky was showing its first glimpses of light. All things began in the east in this country. Iceani had long ago been separated from her Second General. The invaders had seemed quite determined to put distance between the two. Acteon had been troubled upon his return to retrieve her to leave. He did not wear worry well. When she asked him why, he only replied with a very pained look._

_It did not take long to reach the battle. Well, more like the fire. There was nothing of significance here, so why destroy it? A distraction, perhaps. She hoped not._

_Before they entered the city, Acteon had given her his customary good-bye, well it was just hers. A small kiss on the forehead followed by the words "be safe". That was hours ago._

_She wiped the blood off of her sword. She had dawned her armor to keep the heat from the fire at bay. It did not leave much to the imagination. Her midriff was left bare, inviting anyone to try and run her through. It often reminded her of something off of those "Hercules" movies back in her own time. They were going to make it into a show before she left. How little did those people know? No respectable Greek woman would be seen outside of her home. That was left to the poor, the prostitutes, and non citizen. And not even the few women warriors would never been seen in anything resembling her armor. The Amazons, maybe. But they were oriental._

_There was the sound of sand shifting under someone's foot._

_"Trying to sneak up on me. How sloppy can you get?"_

_She stood from her crouching position and waited for a moment. She brought her arm back and swung around the corner of the building. Her sword hit its mark: right through the man's throat._

_She had nearly taken his head off._

_Iceani pulled back her sword and left the body. It was past sunrise. She would finish this one way or another._

_* * * *_

_He blocked the Chiton's sword and knocked his feet from under him._

_«What are you doing?!»_

_«Isn't it clear to you, Acteon? I'm trying to kill you.»_

_Chiton was back on his feet. Part of a burning building collapsed behind them. Acteon side stepped a rolling column drum and tried to put distance between the two of them._

_«Running, Coward?»_

_«Coward? Me? I would have faced you openly! I would not have taken innocent lives!»_

_«They are incidental. You on the other hand . . .»_

_Acteon continued to back up. He would run if he had to. He felt no shame in running. He had been so shocked to find out that Chiton had been the one to set this up. To achieve nothing more than his death._

_«Why have you don this, Chiton?»_

_«To protect.» He grabbed a dagger from his belt and threw it at Acteon. He barely dodged it._

_«Protect? Have you gone mad? This is not protection it is destruction!»_

_«It will be worth it. Tell me, Acteon, what were you planning to do once you had won her over?»_

_What was he ranting about?_

_«Do?»_

_«To do. You have done your best to be close to our Commander. What are your motives and who do you work for?»_

_His eyes widened, «Perhaps in your world that is they way of things, but not mine. I am loyal to her, Rhoikos, and even you. I would see no harm to any of you!»_

_«Liar.»_

_Chiton quickly closed the distance between them and swung at Acteon. Unfortunately, he had not been trained to fight since he was capable of walking, as was Chiton's case. Against anyone else, he would have not had any problem._

_«You accuse me of betrayal. Look what you have done, Chiton. You are the traitor here. Not I.»_

_«She will understand, eventually.»_

_One move got through. So this what what it felt like to be run through. It hurt._

_«She will kill you for this.»_

_«Fool.»_

_Chiton pushed Acteon off of his blade, and stepped around him. It was time to leave._

_* * * *_

_When Rhoikos arrived it was quite a sight. The fire had been put out, only to be replaced with ice. The moment he had gotten ot the palace he had been pointed in the direction he needed to go._

_He had made it, but not in time._

_Here he stood._

_Over the body of his comrade._

_Rhoikos didn't need to guess who had done this. He only wondered what Iceani would do when she knew the truth. And it would come out, she **was** truth in living form._

_He did know she would be devastated. They were close._

_He feared what would happen now. Rhoikos was confident that he might be able to take Acteon's place in how he had kept her form getting progressively worse. He had been able to stave off the madness somehow. And now it would be inevitable, Rhoikos could only hope to put it off for a little while longer._

_He picked up Acteon's body and placed him over his horse. He had spotted Iceani earlier, but had kept out of site. Now he knew why he had the urge not to be seen._

_She was still close. As he rode up she turned to face him. Her face fell._

_«I am sorry, My Lady.»_

_She said nothing._

_«I will find who has done this, Melissa.» He dismounted._

_«Send word to his family on Crete.» She whispered._

_Rhoikos put his hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off._

_«My Lady, please. We will all mourn him.»_

_She did not speak. She wouldn't for another week. The ride back to Luxor was long, and not surprisingly to Rhoikos, Chiton was there. He said nothing of Acteon's death, but it was not expected._

_He left the funeraries to tend to arrangements. It was his peoples way to be cremated, although it was frowned upon in Egypt it would be done._

_The messenger he sent for arrived within an hour._

_«You will go to our camp and inform the men of these events. Acteon's second in command is to replace him.»_

_So strange. Everything moved so quickly. It always amazed him at how life went. Sometimes so slow that it felt like the day had lengthened into a year, or so fast that it passed in a matter of minutes. The funeral was quick. Pharaoh and his wives attended. Iceani still did not speak. She simply stood there, holding those two bands that Acteon was always seen wearing. Truth be told, Rhoikos thought he never took them off. He had started when he saw what was written inside. One band in his language, the other in hieroglyph: I shall keep my promise._

_Did Acteon know he would not live to see the new year?_

_Chiton was there. He shouldn't have been. It would be difficult to deal with him._

_He did not sleep that day. He had requested to be placed in the room adjoining Iceani's. He stayed up, and listened to her cry. It was the first time in his years of knowing her that she had done so. It would also be the last. When she stopped he had crept into her room to find her asleep._

_It was time to "speak" with Chiton._

_Rhoikos found him staring at the Nile near a nearly abandoned temple on the southern side of Luxor._

_«Rhoikos, my fr-»_

_He punched him and knocked him into the river._

_«How could you?! He had done nothing!»_

_«He did everything! Even at the end of his worthless life he would not admit it!» He pulled himself back on the ground. When he was standing, Rhoikos attacked him again, and held him by the neck. Ready to break his neck._

_«There was nothing to admit.» He growled out._

_«You are blind.»_

_«No, Chiton, ou are. And you will get what is coming to you. If it were not for that face that I fear what Iceani would do, I would tell her that I know it was you.»_

_He dropped Chiton on he ground and walked away, «Watch yourself, Chiton. Karma can be a bitch.»_

_* * * *_

_Two years had past._

_He could do no more to help her. Whatever plagued her mind had taken over, but Rhoikos would still follow her. No matter what she did, he had given his word._

_It would begin tonight._

_Iceani had learned what Chiton had done. She had dragged every detail out of the Spartan General before she had decapitated him. Now they were annihilating the peoples he had gone to in his planning._

_She was extremely paranoid. But she held to her task of defending Egypt, in a twisted sort of way,. There was one problem, she thought it was everyone. Hr had spoken to Pharaoh, and told him that they needed to disengage themselves from her name. Pharaoh had done it reluctantly, but he understood why. He had told the men who wished to leave to do so. Only a fifth of the army had gone._

_After this they were headed to Europe. And would do that same to any she felt was a threat._

_The "massacre" would last for over one hundred, years after his own death. It would cut the population of Asia, by an eighth and Europe by a seventh. Even after the dissolution of her army, people feared her._

_She would not be fully cured of the madness for hundreds years, upon return to the twentieth century and two years after meeting the other Yoriden face to face in 1998._


	3. Part Three

Words in «» represent Latin and some freaky Germanic language in this segment. 

**Little Historical Note:**   
Marcus Aurelius Ruled Rome from CE 161 - 180. He Co - ruled with Lucius Veras from CE 161 - 169. Marcus Aurelius found himself fighting in Gaul, some of the longest campaigns around the Danube, for most of his reign. He wrote that he would have rather been back home at peace instead of fighting. He took his ill deserving son, Commodus, as his co-ruler towards the end of his reign. Commodus would succeed him as Emperor, and be only the second natural son to do so since the beginning of the empire in the 27 BCE.   
*************************************************************************** 

"This _has_ to be a new development in your behavioral pattern." 

The blue haired youth stepped on to the terrace of the abandoned apartment building that was serving as a temporary shelter and meeting place for the rest of them. Hey, it had a great view. Too bad whoever was living here was probably dead. Actually, he knew they were. He didn't need to have known them to feel it. Knowing was part of who he was. 

"What is Rowan?" 

"Bringin' home dead guys. I don't even know if there's a clinical term for that one." 

Iceani turned around and glared at him. Hashiba Rowan swallowed. She, Seiji, and Ryo, all of them could win the "if looks could kill" Olympics. Problem was, she might go ahead and off him for being annoying. Not even being Life could probably save him. 

"How soon?" She asked. 

"The others have spit up. Ryo and Seiji are under a days walk from here. Jim and the rest are already in Sendai." 

"We can't stay long. Once Halo and Rekka get here we must leave." 

She was right. Rowan could feel it, the Youjakai was moving in. They had split up in hopes of hiding from them for a little while longer. Jim and the other had taken a big risk by meeting up. Not that they were any smarter by hooking up out here. 

Arago had moved quickly, but that was the running theme this go round. The first battle had come a decade too early, and none of   
them were ready. Only some unknown intervention had turned the tide. He would later find out that their help had come from another armor they knew nothing about: Iceani. They would also learn of Sirous, Halo's "twin". 

She was a weird one, though. If you counted from the year she had been born she was fourteen like the rest of them. But she had 'lived' for over four and a half centuries. Whenever she came back here, it was to the moment after she had been taken. And here she was. She had mumbled something about not aging after she was twenty-four. That "immortality" would apply to all of them eventually. 

He didn't know what to think about it. So he didn't. He did know what she wanted at the moment. He looked down at the body on the floor. 

"Well, Mel, he's mostly dead. Whatever your plannin', you can work with mostly dead." 

"Where's the chocolate covered miracle pill, Rowan?" 

"I love that movie." He laughed. 

He looked again, and the smile faded from his face. Whoa. 

"Um?" 

"Yes, Strata." 

"You know he looks just like-" 

"I am aware of his appearance." 

He sat down next to her and let his legs dangle off of the balcony. How should he put this? 

" . . . Who is he . . . to you?" He asked slowly. 

She handed him the ID, "According to this his name is Jake McCartey. He's another one of those Fed.'s we've kept on running into." 

"That's makes eight of them. Cy has the other badges." 

"We need someone to take them back." 

"Really, just for that? You plannin' on tryin' to fix him?" 

"Yes." 

Oh boy. 

"Listen, I know he looks like your friend, but your talkin' about screwin' with how the world works." 

"I know exactly how it works, and there is still time. I've seen your armor do harder things, Rowan. This should be nothing." 

His blue eyes shot open at her statement. 

"News flash, pal. That was whosits before me. I trip over my own feet!" 

"You will know what to do when the time comes." 

"Now is not the time to get all sentimental just because some random guy looks like your Second General!" 

She continued to stare a head as she spoke. 

"It is more than Agent McCartey's appearance. It _is_ him, Rowan. I owe him, twice. If this doesn't work, it will be three times." 

He sighed, "How can you be sure?" 

"I asked." 

"Who?" 

"The answer depends." 

"On what?" 

"Your religion and your degree of insult." 

"Oh come on! It's me. Genius boy. Its mere curiosity." 

"The Fates." 

" . . . . . . . . . cool." 

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever to him. They were going to cut it to the wire by waiting for the others. He could already make out a huge form in the clouds above them. Rowan glanced at his companion, she still hadn't moved. How could she do that? He could barely sit still for any amount of time. He forced himself to do it when necessary, but it made him stir crazy. The skill must come with time, but then that didn't explain Seiji. Not much ever explained him, though. 

He looked over his shoulder. He knew a little bit about the guy. From Knossos on Crete. More of an Admiral, in modern terms anyway. Everyone liked him. Well, almost everyone. Was killed by the Third. What was up with the number thing? He asked Iceani once after coming across a reference to the First. She shrugged and said she had nothing to do with it. 

"How bad is the damage? Does Seiji have his work cut out for him for a change?" 

"Most of his blood is on the floor of a bar in the city. There are two exit wounds, and three or four bullets are still lodged inside somewhere. Two shattered vertebrae, and hole in his lower back the size of your fist." 

"Ouch. How'd they manage that?" 

"Hollow point." 

"Well, at least those guys were on the right track in tryin' to do any damage to us." 

"Yes." 

More quiet. He was going to scream just to have some noise. This was why he normally hung with Jim and Kento, the three of them never shut-up. He began to whistle that stupid gold fish song that had been stuck in his head all day. It was better than the band aide song. It had taken two weeks to get that out of his head. Oh, he had a question. 

"You do know that Seiji's never done a normal human before?" 

"He has to learn sometime." 

His jaw dropped. At least she was more lucid than normal. Two weeks ago he got the privilege of stopping her from killing some guy who had slapped her on the ass. That was not fun. He had nightmares from that one. 

"Twice?" 

"Pardon?" 

"You said you owed him twice. He died under your command. That's one. Where's the two part come in?" 

"I met him again." 

"And?" 

"I didn't end well for him." 

Gee, wasn't that a general statement. 

* * * * 

_Rome: CE 171._

_She fingered the curtains that hung between the columns while she waited._

_Humph._

_Waiting._

_He had asked her here. Why should she wait? Because it is polite. She should just kill the guards and go in there. She had done worse. What were a few more bodies to add to the count?_

_«C-C-Caesar will see you now.» A voice spoke from behind her. She turned to see the messenger scurry off as far as his short legs would take him. Iceani raised and eyebrow at the hasty retreat. It was amusing how the normal folk feared her. She stepped through the entryway._

_«My Lady, I am glad you came.»_

_«I am at Rome's service, Caesar . . . from time to time.»_

_Marcus Aurelius motioned her to come and sit with him. She strayed to look at the sculpture in the room._

_«Yes. What is this, our fourth conversation?»_

_«Something like that.» She examined a bust of Augustus. He had been an interesting man. He had genuine concern for his people. She was not around for his death and to see Tiberius' rule. She had decided to come forward in time._

_«You sound tired.»_

_She turned her head to look at the aging man, «I am always tired, Marcus.»_

_He stood and leaned against the gilded table._

_«I would still ask that you go to be with the legions. They see you as Roma. It would help them a great deal. The war in Germania is long and taxing.»_

_«I will not go. I am not your city's goddess.»_

_«Tell that to them, and to the artisans. I think that the bronzes of you and your generals are quite accurate despite the time gap.»_

_Too bad they would be melted down by the Christians in the future. They had gone as for as to show her barefoot. That was something reserved for divinity. What would it take to get the legions to see that they had mistaken her for someone else?_

_«They are very close. And you need to speak with them. I . . . I am human, Marcus. It is wrong.»_

_«Why is it wrong?»_

_«It is a lie, for one. Something I am not, nor do I ever wish to be it. I don't care what it takes, end it.»_

_«Well, then go the Germania and tell them yourself. Show them they are in the wrong.»_

_She smirked._

_«Nice try.»_

_«It was worth it, but the men need motivation.»_

_«You go. I was surprised to hear you had returned to Rome. Besides, the tribes in Germania have done little to threaten the Empire.»_

_«Neither did the thousands you are responsible for.»_

_«True. I am living my punishment for what I have done, Caesar. I does not mean that I can not see my err, or yours.»_

_«I-»_

_«What do you really want from me, Marcus? Tell me or I will leave. I have other things I could be doing.» She demanded._

_He nodded his head._

_«Very well. Nearly two legions have been decimated in Northern Germania. The few survivors spoke of a woman at the head of the faction there. They say that her weapon is . . . living metal. They have taken to calling it Digitablum Magae.»_

_«Cute.»_

_«I wish for you to go there, and put an end to her.»_

_Well, that was her job now. Hit woman for the gods. Her mother would have a heart attack._

_«Fine, I will go, but only if you try to correct that little problem your men have.»_

_«I shall do my best. But their minds are their own.»_

_She turned her back and left the Emperor to his writings._

_"This should be interesting."_

_* * * *_

_The snow was wet here. She thought that considering how far north she was, it would be dryer. Oh well, it only served to aid her. She had arrived two days ago, and had started picking off the Woman's warriors one or two at a time. It all depended on how she felt. Only one had gotten away. She had learned that the man was the Woman's second in command._

_He was good for a normal man._

_It wouldn't be enough against her._

_Iceani had gotten the group down to a manageable size. At dawn the she would take care of the rest of them. Then it would leave her with the two in charge._

_Another pair came by. Dressed in heavy wool clothes to keep the cold away. She stepped from behind her tree to block their path._

_«What are you doing here woman?» One spoke._

_«Are you mad?! You will freeze in that!»_

_«I'm just fine, boys.»_

_«Come. We will take you to get warm.»_

_«I told you. I don't feel it.»_

_One of the men reached out to take hold of her. She moved closer. As soon as he was in reaching distance, she broke his neck. The other drew his weapon._

_«Demon woman!» He hissed._

_«No. Just bored.»_

_He looked stumped when his axe was no longer in his hands. He looked up form his empty grip to see her swing his own blade at him. It was the last thing he ever saw._

_"Where ever he falls, there shall he be buried." She laughed._

_"I should go ahead and get this over with."_

_She left the two bodied where they lay and headed for the valley that was serving as the Blade Wielder's base. It had taken some asking, but she had discovered what "Digitablum Magae" was. Some discarded weapon from some forgotten war goddess, but no one was sure what land laid claim to its origin. Or when it was constructed. Not that it mattered. She knew that she could use it, if she wished. On the scale of importance, it ranked several marks below the Yoriden. Not that it was to be trifled with. But information was information._

_Knowledge is power._

_She wondered who had more in this case._

_Probably her._

_Iceani hiked over the huge ridge that lead to the valley. There were several fires burning and tents dotted the basin. From this vantage point it reminded her of some kind of Boy Scout camp out. But there weren't going to be any s'mores; chocolate wouldn't make its way over for a long while._

_She wanted to see if she could get a look at this woman who had dealt a rare blow the Roman legions twice over, but she would have to get closer to the encampment. She slid down the bank of the slope for a few minutes before she righted herself. She made her way a little further down and took a turn to begin to circle the valley. One reason was to see how far it stretched, the other was to lead whoever was following her as far away from his people as possible._

_She had a pretty good idea of who it was too._

_He was better than she initially thought._

_She smiled._

_The Woman could wait._

_She hiked back up the ridge. She knew that he was aware he had been caught. She halted when she was back at the top of the ridge and turned around to see the man who had escaped her earlier._

_«You're good. I'll give you that, but I'm sure you know that you won't win.»_

_He nodded his head in agreement. Truthfully, now that she had a good look at him he looked vaguely familiar._

_«Yes. I know I don't stand much of a chance, but a better one than most, I think.»_

_«And what makes you think that?»_

_«I know you.»_

_«Many people knew of me, it didn't help them.»_

_«I did not say that I knew of you. I said I know you.»_

_«Really. And how do you know me?»_

_«I can not say.»_

_«Why?»_

_«You know the rules. It is forbidden under these conditions.»_

_She narrowed her eyes. She wasn't in the mood for games._

_«You're trying my very finite patiance.»_

_He smirked at her. It was time to move on with this, she decided._

_«If it's any consolation to you and your leader, your men died quickly. I have only drug out a death once in my life.»_

_The way he was looking at her was sort of un-nerving. It looked like . . . what was the word for it?_

_«I know.»_

_Remembrance?_

_«It doesn't surprise me.»_

_«Honestly, I was wondering when you'd make your way out here, My Lady. You've been everywhere else but some how managed to miss this place.»_

_She raised an eyebrow._

_«What did you call me?»_

_He smirked; his blue eyes were filled with amusement. What she could make out of them under dirty blonde bangs, anyway._

_«So, may I go? Or does my life end here and now?»_

_She didn't want him around at the moment. She'd deal with him later._

_«Go away.»_

_«I am sorry if I have troubled you somehow. It is a hard thing to do, isn't it?»_

_«I told you to leave! Or do you wish to die at this moment?»_

_«Then I'll leave. Enjoy the rest of the night, My Lady.» He looked up at the sky, «It is beautiful out. »_

_He turned and left to go back to his people. After he was long gone she whispered to no one in her first language._

_"Don't call me that."_

_* * * *_

_Iceani had waited several days before she had destroyed the camp on the valley. All but four of the warriors had died. Only the Woman, her second-in-command, and two others had made it out._

_She had easily dispatched the two unknown soldiers. News of her actions had spread to a nearby legion, it's general had turned them around to come to her location. It would be a day before they could get here. She would be gone by then. Back to Rome. She moved across the bloodstained snow in pursuit of the Blade Wielder. The Gauntlet made her somewhat super human. She was fast, but Iceani was ahead of her. Moving to intercept her mid way._

_The brown haired woman came by and she clothes-lined her. The Wielder was knocked to the ground. She looked up at her with angry green eyes. The Woman lashed out to try and kick her feet our from under her. Iceani simply sidestepped her attempt._

_The Woman pushed herself off the ground and summoned the odd armor-like weapon. It was like living metal tendrils that wrapped themselves around portions of her body._

_Interesting._

_She went for a frontal assault. Iceani smiled. She was angry. Angry people didn't think clearly. She raised her palm and gave the woman on open fisted uppercut. She flew back several meters and crashed into a tree._

_Iceani walked over._

_Unconscious._

_She knelt down and touched one of the red jewels on the weapon. It began to vibrate, kind of like a cats purr. The tendrils receded and reformed in bracelet form. It seemed to melt for a moment while it slithered over to her wrist._

_She'd give it back later._

_Her comrade would go first._

_It didn't take long to find him. He was sitting on fallen tree several hundred meters from where she had knocked his commander out._

_«Waiting for me?»_

_He looked up._

_«Yes. For longer than you think.»_

_«We might as well get this over with.»_

_He nodded._

_«I don't want to fight you, My Lady.»_

_«Stop calling me that!»_

_Why the hell did he look like he was hurt when she yelled at him? It almost made her regret it._

_He noticed the bracelet on her arm and sighed._

_«Is she alive?»_

_«For now. Get up.»_

_He did as she asked and held his arms out to his sides. She had never had a problem doing this before. Men had done similar things and she had ended their lives without hesitation._

_Why was it different now?_

_«Is there a problem?»_

_"Shut-up!"_

_«I've told you I could never understand you when you speak like that.»_

_Her eyes narrowed and she closed the remaining distance between them, and the Blade formed a short dagger. She'd kill him just to stop the strange feeling she was getting from him. He didn't even flinch when she pushed the blade to its "hilt" through his abdomen. She should have done something different, this was a slow way to die._

_"Just go away." She whimpered._

_«Sometimes,» he drew in a shaky breath, «I think I am destined to die this way most often.»_

_«What are you talking about?» She had done something wrong. She felt so small._

_«Twice now I have been killed in this manner. The first time was a long time ago.»_

_«Who are you?»_

_He gave her a small kiss on the forehead and leaned foreword to whisper in her ear in a dead language._

_«Be safe.»_

_He went limp and she let him fall to the forest floor.._

_She dropped to the ground next to him and for the second time in over a century she cried._

_* * * *_

_This wasn't supposed to be possible. She was born to wear the Blade. But the other woman had taken it from her, and had complete control of the weapon._

_The other woman didn't seem too well. She was out of her mind. The warrioress reminded her of the old tales. The one's about he gods from the north. Where the Viking men lived. But they were all blonde. The woman had brown hair._

_And she was so cold. She thought she might freeze to death._

_Maybe the Blade was hers to begin with. No one knew where it had come from. It did look like it had come off the other's armor. If you could have called it armor. It looked to serve no purpose, but she had found out the hard way that it did. She had fought the other woman; it didn't look like she could win._

_It got even colder. It wasn't supposed to be this cold in Germania. The red snow crunched under her boots. Giving her location away._

_«Damn.»_

_«You shouldn't say bad words.» She spun around to meet the other woman's blue eyes. The Glove was different for her. It must be different for everyone. She held the long sword in her hand, not attached as hers was._

_«Who are you?»_

_The other woman laughed. Like it was some kind of joke only she could understand. Did the cold not bother her?_

_«Who is anyone? A name is only a name.» She was insane!_

_She took off running through the forest. She ran forever. She stopped to catch her breath. When she looked up, the other woman was there._

_She raised the sword to her neck. She could feel blood well up at the point of contact._

_«What makes you think you're worthy? To know anyone's real name?»_

_«Tell me who you are! And when I get the Glove back, I might spare your life.»_

_«You,» She laughed again, «Spare me. I have died so many times. I have killed so many times.» She trailed off. «Does one more really matter?»_

_«Who, what are you?!»_

_The other woman stopped laughing._

_«Winter.»_

_She raised the blade and swung to take her head off._

_The blow never fell._

_She opened her eyes to find no one there, and the bracelet on the bloodied snow at her feet._

_* * * *_

_«The legions report that there was nothing left of the peoples that you went after.»_

_She didn't answer him._

_Marcus Aurelius watched the young woman, in the physical sense she was young. The woman sat in his chair and stared out over the city. She had returned splashed with mud and blood four days ago. Since then she had done what she was currently engaged in._

_She seemed so sad. His son had come to see him, and was constantly distracted by her presence. He had sent Commodus away for a later meeting. Either when she had left, or he felt safe enough to leave her alone he would reschedule._

_«I have ordered the legions back to Rome. I intend to speak with them about the matter we discussed earlier.»_

_Nothing._

_He sighed._

_«My Lady-»_

_«Don't call me that.»_

_At least she had spoken._

_«Why not, may I ask? You had no problem any other time you were addressed as such.»_

_«That was before.»_

_«Before?»_

_She didn't answer him._

_«Please, Melissa, what happened out there?»_

_She turned her gaze away form the city and to him._

_«I killed a friend, Marcus.»_

_The look on her face would stay with him until his death._

* * * * 

Rowan walked with Seiji and Ryo. He had left to scout the city after Melissa had zoned out on him. He just couldn't stay there with her and . . . the agent. 

He had given Seiji and Ryo the "low down", as he liked to call it, about Iceani's little request. Ryo had spit out his water.   
Seiji raised an eyebrow, which was his equivalent to Ryo's reaction. Rowan laughed until his side hurt, and someone slapped him on the back of his head. 

"She wants Seiji and you to do what?!" 

"Bring this guy, who she is convinced is Acteon, back from the mostly dead state he's in." 

"Did you go in to the whole mostly dead shpeel again?" 

"But it sounds so cool." 

"Did you try and confirm her claims?" Seiji spoke up. 

"I tried, all right. It comes and goes. If this had come along later I could tell who's who, but it's too new to me right now, Seiji." 

"Could you tell, Seiji?" Ryo asked. 

"Perhaps." 

They walked the few blocks to the apartment building and began to climb the stairs to the top floor. 

"I've never done a normal human before." 

"That's what I told her, Seiji. She said that you have to learn sometime." 

"Sounds like her." 

"Was she in one of her moods, Ro?" 

"Nah, she's actually pretty lucid right now, Ryo." 

As soon as they stepped through the stairwell door, Ryo grumbled about the temperature. Fire and ice didn't mix too well. Once, Ryo had put his hand on Iceani's shoulder and there was steam from the contact, literally. It was kinda cool. That was a stupid pun. Good thing he didn't say it out loud or he would have gotten one of Seiji's looks. They could get scary. 

Iceani had her back to them when they entered the room. Seiji immediately went to the Agent's side. He and Ryo made their way over to where she sat. 

"How you doin'?" 

"I'm fine, Rowan." 

"You sure?" 

"Yes, Ryo." 

He looked at Ryo and shrugged. 

There was a sinking feeling in the room. Followed by a sustained bright light. It was something to see, Rowan never got tired of it. Seiji looked to be struggling. Well, he was supposed to do something. Might as well lend him some strength even if he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. Something was better than nothing. He stood behind his blonde haired friend at put his hand on his shoulder. 

An explosion shook the building. It looked like someone made a gas main explode. 

"I'm going back out to see what that was." Ryo took the short way. He jumped off the balcony. Not that the twelve-story fall would do him any harm. 

Seiji stopped and sat back on his heels. 

Iceani turned her head, "Thank you." 

"For what? Nothin' happened." 

He swallowed his words the second Agent McCartey bolted upright. He looked like he was about to scream. Seiji clamped his hand over his mouth and forced McCartey to look at him. 

"I'm going to ask you some questions, all right." 

He slowly nodded his head. 

"Do you know what country you are in?" 

Another nod. 

"Do you remember where you were born?" 

Another nod. 

"Agent McCartey you picked on hell of a time to come to Japan." 

"You got that right." Rowan mumbled under his breath. 

"We don't have much time so I will give you the quick facts. You were severely injured in a bar in Shinjuko. Iceani," he motioned to her, "brought you here. I healed you." 

Seiji removed his hand. 

McCartey looked around the room and stopped at Iceani. 

"How long have I been out?" 

"About four days." Rowan answered. 

"There's no way. I was . . . I was," He craned his neck to try and look at his back. When he couldn't see he felt with his hand. He was all there, "did I pass out?" 

Iceani opened her mouth to speak but Rowan cut her off. 

"In a manner of speakin'." 

She glared at him. Ohh, he was going to get it later. 

"And you," he pointed to Seiji, "healed me?" He said incredulously. 

"Believe it or not. We have to go." 

Rowan helped both of them off the floor. McCartey swayed for a moment but quickly got a hold of himself. He took a step away from the three of them. 

"Who are you all?" 

Rowan spoke up, "How much do you know about Japanese mythology?" 

"About semesters worth in college." 

"Ever come across the Yoriden?" 

He gave them a non disbelieving look. They always got that 'yeah right' look for some reason. Why did that happen so much? Rowan chalked it up to bad press. 

"Prove it." 

Rowan raised his hand and pointed out the window to the oriental castle floating in the clouds. 

* * * * 

This was the most fucked up week of his life. Jake McCartey stood on the street and craned his neck to look at the castle.   
"Forget the shrink, get me a straitjacket." He mumbled to himself. 

What was all this? He winced when a stab of pain ran through his lower back. That kid, Seiji, had told him that even though his body was healed the mind remembered the pain. 

This was all insane. 

But it was hard to argue with what he had seen. That girl's, Iceani, fight in the bar. His recovery. Big ass building in the clouds. That must be one hell of a foundation that thing sits on. 

"Lets go." The new guy, Ryo had come back from investigating some explosion. They had decided to trade off on taking him to the nearest port that hadn't been affected by . . . whatever was out there. The rest would go on to meet the others. He had asked how they could do that. He said that aside from one of them possessing the ability of flight, they could do a few other things to get them from one place to another in a matter of minutes. Then Jake had asked why they didn't just use that. They were trying to not draw attention to themselves, but they would take the risk to get him out of Japan before the fighting started up. It was what they had been doing for the past week, trying to save as many as possible. One if at time if need be. He wouldn't be the first they had done this for. 

"Come on man. We gotta go on foot." Rowan was going to be with him first. The others were already out of sight. 

He couldn't help it. He had to say something. 

"You have blue hair." 

"You have blonde hair." 

"Point taken." 

"Out of curiosity, Agent-" 

"Just call me Jake." 

"Jake. What were you doin' here?" 

"We came to investigate what happened a few months ago. The United States didn't believe that Japanese government's claim of a freak weather system. I take it was really you." 

"Unfortunately. It sucked too. War came a decade too early. Except for Cy, who's the oldest, all of us are about fourteen. I'd rather be goofin' off in school." 

"You're fourteen!" 

"So." 

"But-" 

"It is a runnin' trend that it's pretty much always the kids who get to save the world. Sucks, doesn't it? Don't you watch television?   
It's full of that kind of stuff." 

He nodded his head. Jake looked around him while they walked. Much of the city's suburbs were still in ruins from the last time. They hadn't had much time to reconstruct. He wished he had another shirt. This one had a hole in the back and blood all over it. 

"Oh, here." Rowan tossed him his ID and badge. "I can't believe that they put your nick name in quotes on a Federal ID." 

"They just did. Everyone calls me Jake and not Jason." 

"How many others were here with you?" 

"Including myself there were eight." 

The kid nodded his head slowly. He knew something. 

"What?" 

"I'm sorry. One of the others has their badges to give to you. You're the only one left." 

No. But the kid wasn't lying. 

"H-how did they die?" 

He didn't answer him. 

"I want to know!" 

"No, you don't." 

How would he explain this? What would be told to their families? 

"It bites, because we can't save every one. We didn't last time and we can't this time. Their deaths are on our hands, Agent. Don't think you could have done anythin'. You almost became another Badge to be delivered to the closest US embassy." 

"Things like this aren't supposed to be real." 

"All myth is based in truth. And the bad thing is that there's, more than likely, somethin' off about you. People like us tend to attract other people who aren't exactly normal. Even if you just happen to stumble by us this lifetime, I guarantee that you're goin' to continue to have freak encounters with shit like this until the day you die." 

"Oh joy." 

"I know. Welcome to the club." 

"Great." 

"I knew you'd be happy." He spoke in a tone dripping with sarcasm. 

They talked about nothing the rest of the day. 

* * * * 

"Why didn't you let me tell him the truth?!" 

"You can't tell him who he used to be. It's against the rules." 

"I wasn't going to do that, Seiji. But he deserved to know what really happened to him." 

"Well, Rowan did tell him the truth, in his perspective. You're the one who always has to explain to people that truth is all a matter of perspective. So don't be so pissed off." 

"It's still a lie, Seiji." 

"It's better this way. You know that thing you killed him with once." 

"Yes. They call it the Witchblade now." 

"I had a vision when I was healing him. He's going to get mixed up with that thing again. By knowing that we are what we are has already turned everything he thought he knew upside down. Let's not make it worse. If he does, ever, remember what really happened to him, Rowan and I will deal with it." 

"You don't understand. Whether or not he ever knows who he used to be, he'll be the most angry with me. I don't want him to hate me." 

"I don't think he will." 

"I hope you're right." 

* * * * 

When he woke up there was some one different with him. 

"Okay." Jake yawned, "why don't you guys just do whatever it is you do to get me out of here?" 

"We have only just learned how, and we have never taken any one with us. We have no idea what kind of strain or damage it would do any one else." The boy spoke with an accent that sounded like Australian mixed with British. 

"Where are you from?" 

"I was born I Sydney. I have spent half my life there and half in London. We should go." 

He stood up. Wait a second. Something wasn't right. 

"What is it?" 

"I'm normally starving when I wake up." 

"That would be Seiji. You probably won't be hungry for a few days." 

"Do you know how he did what he did?" 

"Yes and no. I am capable of something similar, but it's not the same." 

"Weird." 

"Yes, well. Come on we must get moving." 

"Which one are you?" 

"I am Cy Mouri. Torrent, Suiko call me what you will. I will answer." 

"You're the one that has my team's ID's." 

"Yes. There in here." He pointed to the backpack he was carrying and glanced behind them. "I am sorry about them." 

Jake nodded his head. 

"Um, I appreciate you guys taking the time to get me out of here." 

"It's what we do." 

He looked behind him them again. The space between Jake's shoulder blades burned. They were being watched. He had always had a knack for knowing when that was happening, but it was never this strong. 

"Um, dude?" 

"I know. Whatever may occur don't bother to run. Just find some place to hide. Hopefully it is nothing that I can't handle." 

"Is this what you all were worried about?" 

"Yes. We do tend to attract trouble. I guess . . . try to act like we're . . . normal." 

They stopped before the entered the small rural town ahead of them. Okay, act like normal people. Well what the hell, was normal? 

"It's about another day until we get to the port. Why can't anyone ever wait? Everyone has to be in a hurry to fight. I would so much rather be back in Australia surfing." 

"I hear you there." 

"Oh, you as well?" 

"I've thought about entering a competition one day. The guys always made fun of me for it." 

"You are not alone there. With my life I hardly have time." 

"I can imagine." 

Cy kept his eyes on something in the town. Jake glanced over to see what he was looking at. On the roof of a house stood another one of those things he had seen in Shinjuko. 

"It's only a foot solider." 

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" 

"I can handle about twenty on my own. More if I use what we have affectionately called a 'sure kill'." 

"Maybe it's just a scout." 

"True, but I wonder which of the Warlords it is scouting for." 

They started walking again. Maybe Cy thought it would ignore them. 

"Um . . ." 

"Ignore it." He ordered. 

He kept his eyes on the ground and did what he had been told. Here I am, he thought. Taking orders from a teenager. If it keeps me alive. There was a metallic whispering sound when the thing turned its head to look at them as they passed by. It kept staring at them. He had a feeling this wasn't good. 

"Bloody hell." The kid swore. 

"What?" 

"Duck." 

The second his head was out of range Cy delivered a round house kick to whatever had been behind him. He stood up and saw the remains of another soldier. There were two. Cy's kick had ripped the upper half of it off. Jake whistled in amazement. But if there were two, there might be more. 

"Get to the side, now." 

"Whatever you say, dude." 

Jake backed himself up against the house and did his best to meld with the wall. There was something else out there. A whooshing noise and Cy grabbed a wicked looking katana that had been aimed at him out of the air. Whoa, the kid was fast. He had seen people catch knives before they hit their mark, but never just grabbing it. And never anything that big. 

"You have improved, boy." 

Okay, where did the voice come from? This really was like something out of a B-rated horror movie. 

"Why don't you come out, Naaza? I will show you how much I have improved." 

"Aren't you supposed to be the pacifist in your little group, boy?" 

"Funny how things work out." 

A man stepped out from behind another house. He reminded Jake of a snake for some reason. 

"Truly hilarious. But I am here for education's sake." 

"Really? I don't remember signing up for your class." 

The man laughed and looked at Jake. He swallowed; Jake didn't have to have any supernatural abilities to know that this guy reeked power. He looked away. I can't wait to get out of here and begin to try and repress all this, he thought. 

"I wish to know why these humans are worth the risk of you all splitting off alone." 

"Well, we don't worry about you individually anymore, Nazaa. Only groups." 

Nazaa growled. What the fuck was Cy doing? He was actually taunting the guy! 

"You should worry, boy! I will-" 

"You will what? Remember I have kicked your ass across this country before. I can do it again." 

"But you'll leave your little charge alone." 

"Do you really think we would know better than to split up that far?" 

"I have scanned the area, boy. I know you are alone." 

"But you were right, Nazaa. We have improved." 

There was a screeching sound and something crashed into Nazaa and he was blown out of sight. He looked up at the soldier who was still on the roof only to see a large blade protruding through its chest plate. When the armored creature crumbled to the ground he could only assume that this new person was an ally. He jumped to the ground and slapped Cy on the back. 

"Well look at you. 'Let's-not-fight' boy actually instigated something." 

"I am just full of surprises, Jim." 

Jake left his spot on the wall and walked out into the middle of the dirt road. 

"So, we were never alone out here." 

"No, you've had someone a few miles behind you the entire way. Even with Rowan." Jim spoke. 

"And why did no one tell me." 

"Element of surprise, dude. We've just blown it. So here I am." 

Cy dropped the sword to the ground and picked up his backpack. He glanced at his hand. It was covered in burns. 

"What happened?" Jake asked, 

"Nazaa is venom. It runs through everything, even him. I touched his sword and got burned." Cy explained. 

"How can he be alive?" Yes straitjacket was a great idea. With one of those little padded rooms too. 

"He's not human. He doesn't even come from this realm. He's, like, part snake." 

Jake's eyes widened at Jim's response. 

"Dude, you wanted an answer don't look at me like I'm crazy." 

Jake turned his back to them and started walking in the direction they needed to go. Armor, whacked out abilities, and people who are related to reptiles. Screw the jacket, he should write a novel and make some money. It's not like these events will fade from his mind any time soon. But at least someone else said 'dude'. Two of them, really. Ryo said it too, and he wasn't even an American. You could never tell, he didn't have a hint of a Japanese accent, but at least he wasn't alone in the appreciation of the word. Jake had decided that he would do his best to focus on the inane little things around him and in life to keep him from screaming. 

Why couldn't things be simple? If he wanted simple he shouldn't have joined the Department of Justice Task Force. He should have stayed home and went into accounting or medicine like his folks wanted. He grimaced at the thought of being stuck in either of those jobs. He couldn't do that. He had to stay active, not sit behind some desk or deal with sick people all day. After this he would need some down time, though. Back to the beach in his home in San Diego would be perfect. Where it didn't get cold, where there was never that whole damp air feeling in the air. And there were no big armored thingies lurking around every corner. 

Jim made his way next to him. 

"I guess I should formally introduce myself? My mother would have a fit if she knew that I forgot to do that." 

"Where do you come from?" 

"Idaho." 

"Another one from America. Aren't you people supposed to be from everywhere?" 

"Well," he thought for a moment, "in history more often than not: yes. We are from all parts of the world. Sometimes it gets a little clustered. I don't think it really matters, as long as whoever needed to be born is born when they are supposed to be. Strange but true. Whatever you think." 

"I don't know what I think. This doesn't feel real. Things like this don't happen." 

"That's what I said. This, all of this was a real test of faith for me. But everything has its reason, you just have to figure out what it is for you." 

He nodded his head. 

"So, in the interest of not making my mom mad. I am James Parke, call me Jim." 

He put out his hand and Jake shook it. 

"Jake McCartey." 

"Good to meet you." 

"Do you think we'll have to worry about that guy coming back?" 

"I don't know. I've never fought him. But he and Cy hate each other." He shouted back to the other, "Hey, Cy, is fang face going to come back?" 

"Probably not. If had been ordered to do any damage, we'd still be back there. It doesn't mean that we should keep a look out." 

"I'll go up in a little while." 

"Up?" Jake asked. 

"I am Sirous. S-I-R-O-U-S. Pronounce it like the cloud. Let's see, the other guys represent an element and a . . . for lack of a better word, virtue. With the whole' virtue' thing they are the supposed to be the physical embodiment of that trait. There are five of them, five elements." 

"There are only four elements." 

"Remember, here, light is seen as element. And that's Seiji. Halo, my twin armor. The four Warlords represent a season, and they have warrior traits: obedience, piety, loyalty, stuff like that. Then there are Iceani and myself. We are more forces of nature. We are the two temperaments. She being Truth and I am Respect. Basically, I control the weather. And being as such my favorite X-Man is Storm." 

"The weather?" No way in hell. 

"And an going along with that, I can fly, dude. Then the only problem is luggage. I don't have a cargo compartment." 

Jake laughed at the decidedly bad joke Jim had told. From behind them he could hear Cy groaning at its absurdity. It felt good to laugh. It did him some good. 

The sun was setting in on the horizon. He was shocked at how not tired he was and they had been walking since dawn. It must be another side effect from whatever Seiji did to fix him up. 

He didn't have a doubt that the minute he laid down he would pass out. 

Tomorrow. 

Tomorrow he would be able to get out of this place. 


End file.
